Spiritual Prescription THE FIGHT OF FAITH
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 10:17.
"If you fight the fight of faith with all your will power, you will conquer."--Testimonies, vol. 5. p. 513. What is this fight of faith? Paul talks about it: "Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:12).
If you fight the fight of faith with all your willpower, you won't have any willpower left over for anything else! If it is true that "every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith" (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 657), then where should we put our effort and attention? Strangely enough, it isn't toward faith, either! No, it's toward the object of faith, the source of faith, which is Jesus. This is why it is so important to take time day by day for knowing Jesus.
Without spending time in communication, in fellowship, there will be no faith, no trust. Faith is best defined as trusting God (Gospel Workers, p. 259). There is no such thing as building a relationship of trust without spending time together. No one gets acquainted with anyone without time for communication.
Relationships cannot live without communication any more than we can live physically without eating. My dad used to tell me about a man who trained his horse not to eat. It was more economical that way. Unfortunately, just when he got him trained, he died!
If I quit feeding my physical life, I may be able to go along for a while on the basis of what I have already eaten. I might live for a while on stored-up fat. But sooner or later I am going to fall in a little heap on the sidewalk, and that will be the end of it. And the person who has initially become a Christian and who has experienced the beginning of spiritual life may be able to go for a little while without taking time to feed his soul; but sooner or later he is going to end up in a pitiful little heap on the spiritual sidewalk. Only by continual eating of the Bread of Life and drinking the Water of Life will our spiritual lives be strong and healthy.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 10:17.
"If you fight the fight of faith with all your will power, you will conquer."--Testimonies, vol. 5. p. 513. What is this fight of faith? Paul talks about it: "Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:12).
If you fight the fight of faith with all your willpower, you won't have any willpower left over for anything else! If it is true that "every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith" (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 657), then where should we put our effort and attention? Strangely enough, it isn't toward faith, either! No, it's toward the object of faith, the source of faith, which is Jesus. This is why it is so important to take time day by day for knowing Jesus.
Without spending time in communication, in fellowship, there will be no faith, no trust. Faith is best defined as trusting God (Gospel Workers, p. 259). There is no such thing as building a relationship of trust without spending time together. No one gets acquainted with anyone without time for communication.
Relationships cannot live without communication any more than we can live physically without eating. My dad used to tell me about a man who trained his horse not to eat. It was more economical that way. Unfortunately, just when he got him trained, he died!
If I quit feeding my physical life, I may be able to go along for a while on the basis of what I have already eaten. I might live for a while on stored-up fat. But sooner or later I am going to fall in a little heap on the sidewalk, and that will be the end of it. And the person who has initially become a Christian and who has experienced the beginning of spiritual life may be able to go for a little while without taking time to feed his soul; but sooner or later he is going to end up in a pitiful little heap on the spiritual sidewalk. Only by continual eating of the Bread of Life and drinking the Water of Life will our spiritual lives be strong and healthy.
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